Stories about escaping fundamentalism and recovery by trial and error

childhood

Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces by Dawn Davies grabs your heart from the first page, the first sentence even, and doesn’t let go until the exquisite final paragraph. In turns pee-your-pants hilarious, philosophical, horrifying, wounded, and healed, this close up look into a life resonates deeply. Her descriptions of a lonely childhood, confusing first marriage, the challenges raising children, and her deep love of music ring true.

This book was recommended to me by my editor because of the style in which it is written; stand alone chapters that weave together to create the story of a life, like looking through windows in time. My memoir, currently under construction, is structured similarly. I think maybe my editor wanted to give me something to strive for. Mission accomplished.

Dawn Davies keeps the reader in the palm of her hand, forcing you to think about things you never thought of before, similar to having your eyelids held open with toothpicks. I ached for the narrator even though she never asks for sympathy. I related to her experiences even when the details were foreign and cheered her on throughout. Mothers of Sparta is one of those books that you can’t help but devour even though you know you’re going to be bummed when its over.